Have you ever wondered why humans are the only animals that enjoy sharing meals? Martin Jones, the author of “Why Humans Share Food”, has penned over twenty books. Most of his work is nonfiction and deals with human interaction. His intention for writing this particular book was to inform readers about the cultural aspect of social meals in the eyes of humans as opposed to how all other animals view it.
The main point that the writer wants to get across is that sharing meals is purely a human thing to do. Jones writes, “In other species . . . direct eye-contact is more typically hostile, as is the opening of mouths and the exposure of teeth” (pg 1). Humans would not think twice about sharing a meal with a family member or friend, but to any other animal that would be seen as an invitation to war.
Humans are the only animal that use shared meals as a way to socialize. One of the things that Jones does well is that he explains what a shared meal is. Jones says that a communal meal is any food that is being eaten by more than one person at a time. Most people would just assume that a shared meal is a holiday dinner with extended family, but according to Jones a shared meal can be as simply as a “TV dinner” or as fancy as a “Roman banquet” (pg 356).
Furthermore, in the first chapter Jones says that the sharing of food between people is a type of “union between the person and the organism” (pg 12). He compares it to “early motherhood and sexual union” (pg 21). According to Jones, sharing of meals is one of the ways that humans are interconnected.
When Jones is writing to the audience he uses his knowledge of history, science, and sociology to explain all of the little stories that he tells. The writer puts the reader right in the historical scene. The book starts out with a sensory rich story about Southern Moravian vineyards roughly 25,000 – 30,000 years ago and contains a multitude of similar accounts.
The characters in this book range from ancient tribes and cultures to modern day archeologists. Both types of characters serve a purpose in getting the author’s main point across. The historical figures show the readers how shared meals have changed and stayed the same in the passing of years. While the archeologists help aide in explaining the historical and scientific facts found in the places of ancient people’s eating places.
Although other books in this genre tend to focus on facts, Jones’ book focuses more on the social construct around the facts. He goes into detail about how certain things are perceived in different cultures and gives his audience a visual representation of how it would have been in that time. This approach to writing a history book is great for capturing the attention of the reader.
One of the ways that the author puts his reader into the story is by describing the archeological dig in the places he is writing about. Jones writes about the process of the digs as well as the scene around it. Not only does he describe the digs, but he also explains the importance of everything there.
Throughout the book, Jones adds both maps and illustrations in strategic places to help the reader get a better understanding about where he is studying and why certain things are being classified the way that they are. Since a good majority of people learn more when they can see the picture along with the words, this method of writing works well for him.
Social meals are such a large part of society that it makes since to study the origins of them. Since everyone has, at some point in their lives, experienced a shared meal, this book appeals to all crowds. One of the many great things about this book is that there is something in it for everyone.
Jones writes to historians, scientists, sociologists, and the common man alike. He writes to the historians by addressing the historical context of his dig sites as well as the history behind searing food. Scientists can dig deeper by studying the types of rocks that the hearths were built with and determine more facts about the historical cultures in the book. Most of the content in this book is about the way sharing food is seen to humans and looks at the social implications of shared meals which engaged the sociologists. Finally, even people who simply love to eat can enjoy this book because it is something that can easily be related to. Everyone eats; therefore, everyone can find a connection to this book even if they do not study one of the major subjects used to compose this book.
While enjoying this book, the reader will feel as though they are a part of history. They will experience the layout of ancient cultures’ eating areas and learn the different reasons humans from the past and present share food. The writer of this book makes it easy to feel like you are personally mining all of the information packed into its pages in the field right along with him.
In my opinion, this book is a fantastic investment. The main reason I read the book was because I was required to, but I instantly fell in love with the way that the writer expressed his knowledge on the pages. Jones wants his readers to feel like they were right there with him as he discovered the secrets of one of society’s most overlooked tendencies, and that is exactly what he does.
Martin Jones’ “Why Humans Share Food” was first published by Oxford University Press in 2007 as a hardback. Later, in 2008, Oxford University Press published a paperback edition as well. The book can be found on Amazon for approximately eighteen dollars for a paper copy, seven dollars for a hard copy and fourteen dollars for a digital copy by using ISBN: 978-0199533527 or by simply searching the name and author of the book.
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Top reviews from other countries
Amazon Customer
Brilliant, literate archaeology
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 7, 2010Sbo
Well-structured, very instructive. Accessible and pleasant, though sometimes challenging
Reviewed in France 🇫🇷 on June 4, 2021
